Bilbao

It is very difficult to be upset or angry with anyone or about anyone when the sun is shining, the air smells of green grass alternating with food, the sun-tanned legs of the flirty skirted señoritas all around... but it did not start out that well on my first visit in 2005. Firstly it was raining when I arrived, secondly it was fiesta and, sadly they have learned rather too much from the Norwegians. That includes all the staff going on fiesta as well so there is nobody left to serve the drinks. They also seemed to have acquired a taste for bacalao, a propensity for building silly bendy bridges and the perverse desire for a second, impenetrable, minority appeal language. Ten years later, having discovered the delights of Basque cuisine and the exceptional hospitality of the people, I would rank Bilbao with the best of the world's post-industrial cities. The Guggenheim, having fulfilled its role as a cultural catalyst, is now only one of a number of significant architectural landmarks and even the uninspired residential areas display characteristic Spanish charm as they come to life each evening.

Guggenheim	Bilbao Airport	Palacio Euskalduna	Torre Iberdrola

Modern Architecture	Art Deco	Historic Bilbao	Bilbao Images